kikii

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Kikī

King of Benares at the time of the Buddha Kassapa. When the Buddha arrived in Benares, the king, having listened to his discourse, entertained the Buddha and his monks at the palace. When the Buddha was asked to spend the rainy season there he refused, as he had already accepted the invitation of Ghaṭīkāra of Vehaliṅga. Kikī was at first hurt by the refusal, but when the Buddha described Ghaṭīkāra’s virtues, the king was pleased and sent five hundred cartloads of provisions to Ghaṭīkāra who, however, curtly refused the gift (D.ii.7; M.ii.49ff).

One of Kikī’s daughters was Uracchadā, who attained Arahantship at the age of sixteen. He had seven other daughters — Samanī, Samanā, Guttā, Bhikkhudāsikā, Dhammā, Sudhammā and Saṅghadāsī — who, in this Buddha era, became respectively Khemā, Uppalavaṇṇā, Patācārā, Gotamā, Dhammadinnā, Mahāmāyā and Visākhā. J.iv.481; in the Ap.ii.561f, the names are Samaṇī, Samapaguttā, Bhikkhuṇī, Bhikkhadāyikā, Dhammā, etc., and they are mentioned as having lived celibate lives; see also Sattamba; both the Apadāna and the ThigA.17, 103f, omit the name of Mahāmāyā from this list and have, instead, the name of Bhaddā Kuṇḍalakesā, identifying her with Bhikkhadāyikā. The Mtu.i.303f mentions another daughter Mālinī Kisāgotamī.

He had also a son, Pathavindhara (Puthuvindhara), who succeeded him to the throne (ThagA.i.151). During the lifetime of the Buddha Kassapa, Kikī waited on him with many kinds of gifts (SnA.i.281, 283), and at his death built one of the four gates outside the Buddha’s cetiya. The gate was a league in width (SnA.i.194). According to the Aṅguttara Commentary (AA.i.420), Kikī was the chief attendant (aggupaṭṭhāka) of Kassapa.

In the Sanskrit books he is called Kikī, and is mentioned as owning a palace called Kokanada (e.g., Mtu.i.325; Divy.22f; Avadānas i.338, etc.).

Dictionary of Pāli Proper Names • G.P. Malalasekera